Rebel and the Reptilian
by DarkHero87
Summary: Life takes all kinds of people to make it work. The sweetest face may be your poison, the foulest just might save your ass. Do not judge, and Love unconditionally. Happiness doesn't always find you the way you thought it might.
1. Snake Bites

Chapter one

Everyone's story starts somewhere. Most are fantastically normal. And up until this night, Matilda Shepard's life had been normal too.

Matilda shrugged deeper into her coat, and pulled up the hood. She looked out of the vestibule, out into the drizzling April rain. She sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets. She could feel the wad of money there. Amateur night at The Loft always paid well. The Loft was New York City's Premier burlesque Lounge. She never left with less than $200.

Matilda stepped out into the rain and began her walk home. When she was few blocks away from her apartment, she began to get an ill feeling in her stomach. She started to finger the little knife in her coat pocket. She slid her hood off, so she could see better.

She felt them first, as their footsteps fell behind hers. She quickened her pace, and flipped open the little blade in her pocket.

"Hey babe, why don't you come home with us?" One said. She could tell by his voice, that he was young.

"Hey chica, we talkin' to you" Said another.

"Yeah girl. You know it's not nice to ignore people." A third chimed in.

Finally one made a grab for her. His hand fell on her shoulder. She flung it off and ran.

"hey! Get back here!" The first one shouted. He caught her arm. She pulled the knife out and slashed upwards towards his face.

"You crazy bitch!" He yelled, and covered her face. Matilda elbowed the other that was coming up behind her and ran again.

"After her! Don't let her get away!"

Matilda ran down a block and turned into an alley, heading for the fire escape. But the fire escape was too high for her to reach, and there was nothing to stand on. She took a few steps and heard the clang of a sewer cover. Picking up a broken pipe she shifted the manhole cover, climbed in, and slid the cover back.

"What the hell, man! Where did she go?"

"Damn. Probably took off into that store over there. Come on guys, let's go back. There's no pockets this way."

Matilda heard them walk away. She lifted the cover slightly and peeked out. She saw nothing, but waited a few more minutes, just in case. She finally moved the cover over and popped her head out. Nothing.

"Creep ass kids. Can't believe that almost happened." She said to herself. She shook her head. "Time to go home. Guess I'll be taking a cab at night from now on."

She used her arms and lifted herself up. She put her foot on a higher rung to push herself farther up. The rusted ladder started to give way, and Matilda started to slip. Her fingers couldn't grasp the rain slick ledge, and she fell.

"Shit!"

*Thwump-splash*

She landed in the sopping mess of leaves, mud, rainwater, and garbage.

"Well isn't this some crap." She said as she got up, and brushing some debris off of herself. She looked up at the ladder. It was in shambles, there was no getting back up.

"It's alright Matty; you just have to find another one." She told herself.

She started walking. When she came to what she thought was the next alley she stopped. But she couldn't find another sewer cover.

"Damn." She said, and continued. After few minutes, she started humming. She hated silence. She began dancing as she walked. Before she knew what happened, she fell in a hole.

"Crap!" She yelled.

She reached out for something, anything that might stop her fall. She felt the rungs of a ladder and clung to it, eyes shut tight in case it gave way. When she didn't fall, she opened her eyes. What she saw surprised her. It was an old subway station, maybe from the fifties. Though there wasn't a lot of light, she could make out an assortment of junk that had accumulated over the years. Either from homeless people, or kids looking for a hangout.

Matilda climbed down and took another look around. There was three train cars in the middle, still on the old tracks.

"This is very cool." She said to herself. There was a layer of dust over much of everything. Matilda was mystified by this place. A sudden clang from one of the cars startled her. She gave a nervous giggle.

"Calm down girl, it's probably just a rat." She said aloud.

She walked over to the car that the noise had come from. She slowed when she saw candle light coming from the car. She came to the door and peeked in. What she saw sitting there nearly made her fall over dead.

A rat like creature, at least four feet tall, stood with a tea kettle.

"Well, damn. Sometimes the things I'm right about scare me." She said, half to herself, half to the creature before her.

It looked at her. There was no fear, or aggression, in his eyes. But more, a peaceful curiosity. It sat down in front of a small table, and put the kettle down.

"Who are you?" It asked, in a voice that sounded like an elderly Asian man.

Matilda stared at the creature as it spoke. Her voice stuck for a moment before she could answer.

"I….my name is…is…criminey, Matilda. My name is Matilda." She said finally. "Who are you?"

The rat creature gave what she could only assume was a smile.

"My name is Master Splinter. This is my home." He said. "Please, sit. Would you like some tea?" He asked, as he motioned to the space in front of him.

"Uh…yeah, thanks." She said as she sat before him. "I'm sorry for the intrusion. I've had a rough night."

The rat poured tea into a small cup, and placed it before her.

"Thank you." She said. He nodded.

"What happened to you that brought you down here?" He asked.

Matilda took a sip of tea. The taste was incredible. It hinted of apple and chamomile.

"I was attacked on the street, by some kid thugs. I ran down an alley, going for the fire escape. But the fire escape was too high to reach. I ended up in the sewer instead. When I tried to climb back up, the ladder gave way and fell apart. I started looking for another manhole cover. I wasn't paying attention and fell through another hole." She explained motioning to the opening she had fallen through. "Curiosity got the better of me when I saw what this place was." She said, taking another sip of tea. "This tastes amazing, by the way. I love apples."

"I see. Well, I am glad you are not harmed. Now, I imagine you have plenty of questions of your own." Master Splinter said, smiling at her. Matilda's eyes widened, and she nodded.

"Oh, uh, yes. Well, I guess my first one would be how you came to be like this. I mean, you're like four feet tall, and you speak. It has to be quite a story." She said.

Master Splinter laughed quietly.

"It is a story. But perhaps not so fantastic a story as you might think." He said, and began to recount the tale of his origins. Old enemies, murder, and surviving the sewers of New York.

"It is in these very sewers where I found four baby turtles, crawling in a strange green liquid. I took them in. In the time that followed, I noticed the changes that began to affect us. Speech, the ability to read, and to understand." He said. "My sons and I have lived in these sewers all their lives."

Matilda was in awe. She thought Master Splinter and his sons sounded amazing.

"Your sons, you gave them names right?" She asked him.

"Of course he did." A voice said from behind her.

Matilda whipped her head around, and her mouth gaped. A turtle, a few inches taller than her, stood in the doorway. He wore a blue mask over his eyes. Splinter stood.

"Ah. Good, you are home. Come; Let us go out to where there is more room for us." He said. He made his way towards the door, and the turtle moved away. Matilda stood and followed. As she passed, she gave the turtle a small smile. He only stared. Matilda let it go, and followed Master Splinter to an area with two large couches and a chair. In this area, were three more turtles. Each wore a colored mask over the eyes. One was purple, another orange, and the last was red. Matilda sat on the edge of the couch closest to Splinter. On her other side was the turtle in the red mask. She smiled at him as she sat down, he nodded.

"Matilda, these are my sons; Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael." He said, indicating who was who.

'ok; Leonardo is blue, Donatello is purple, Michelangelo is orange, and Raphael is red. I can remember that' She thought to herself.

Matilda felt a sudden surge of shyness under the eyes of these new people. She shrugged it off and introduced herself.

"Uh, hey guys. My name is Matilda. But you can call me Matty, most people do. It's nice to meet all of you." She said, giving a small wave.

Michelangelo burst into a toothy, child-like grin.

"Same here, dudette!" He exclaimed. Matilda couldn't help but give him a big smile back.

Leonardo leaned forward in his seat and gave her a very scrutinizing look. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"you're awful calm for someone who's just met five talking mutants. Where are you from?" He asked her. Matilda felt it sounded just a little judgmental. But, she smiled at him, and answered.

"I live a few blocks from here topside. I've spent most of my life in foster care, so I've met all kinds of people. I mean no one like any one you of course. But, I guess I'm used to meeting so many new and different people." She said. "Don't get me wrong, it is a shock to know someone like you exists. But no one has offered me any harm, so there's not really a reason to be afraid, or freak out."

Donatello spoke next.

"How did you end up down here?" He asked.

"I was walking home and was attacked by some stupid kids. Got one of them with my knife, and managed to get into the sewer without them seeing. But when I tried to get out the ladder broke. I went looking for another one and fell down here." She told them, showing them the pocket knife.

"There's some rotten luck for you." Michelangelo said. Matilda nodded.

"That's for sure; my butt still hurts from the fall." She said, wincing slightly as she remembered the pain. Leonardo was still staring at her.

"Why where you walking home alone? It's dangerous this late at night." He said. Matilda shrugged.

"It was amateur night at The Loft, and they make us draw number to see who goes on when. I drew the short stick tonight and went last. Normally, I manage to get an earlier slot, so it's not so late when I leave so there are more people on the street." She explained. She looked at Raphael, who had been staring at her intently. "What?" She asked.

"That was stupid of ya. Ya could'a called a cab. That piddly little thing ain't gonna save you every time." He said snidely. Matilda smirked at him. He had an attitude, she liked him already.

"Suppose it was kinda stupid. But I'm still alive. Can't complain about that. Plus, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have met any of you." She said. Then she leaned forward and poked him in his shoulder. "And if you insist on insulting a girl at first meeting, you could at least look her in the eyes. You've been staring at my boobs for the last ten minutes." She said, smiling. Raphael looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"The piercings are cool. Dermals, right?" He asked. Matilda laughed and nodded.

"Yeah. They're the newest. My snake bites were the first thing I got when I turned 18. I got my Flower tattoo two years ago, and then the dermals about three months ago." She said. Michelangelo left his seat and came closer to Matilda.

"Did they hurt?" He asked, looking at them. Matilda shook her head.

"Nah. The thing that hurt the worst for me was the part of my tattoo that goes across my spine. That hurt like a son of a bitch." She said.

For the next two hours, Matilda sat on the couch and talked with her new friends. She wondered if she would ever get over her wonder of these fantastic people. She decided she didn't care what happened; she wanted to be around them, and know them for as long as life would allow.

This was surely the beginning of something amazing.


	2. In the moonlight

Chapter Two

Six months later

I ran through the sewers towards the lair. I was nearly twenty minutes late for my lesson. For the past two weeks I had been learning the art of tea making. From different brewing methods, to what ingredients produce which effects, to the spiritual meanings for each type of tea.

I tried to stop before I got to the entrance, but the rain had been heavy the day before, so I slipped and fell right in. Luckily for me Raph had been on his way out. Unfortunately for me, he was in another bad mood. He caught me bridal style, but the look on his face was anything but romantic. I smiled at him.

"Hey buddy, how's it hanging?" I asked him. He just glared at me.

"What the hell Matty? What's wrong with you? Flying down here like that, you coulda' been hurt." He growled at me.

"Lucky me your fine self was here waiting for me." I said with a grin on my face.

"Yeah, and what if I hadn't been here?" He asked, still glaring.

"I would have had a very broken ass, and would have had to have missed my tea lesson." I said with as straight a face as I could manage. Raphael shook his head.

"You're ridiculous. You know that?" He said. "Go on, Master Splinter is waiting for ya."

I grabbed onto to the ladder, pulled myself out of Raph's arms, and started down the ladder. Raph was right behind me, I looked at him.

"Weren't you going somewhere?" I asked.

"Master Splinter was wonderin' where you were. You're never late." He said, walking away from me. Michelangelo popped up from his binge gaming.

"Nuh-uh. Master Splinter never said anything about it, you did." He said grinning like a fool. "Then you started pacing. Then you said you were gonna go look for her in case she, and I quote, 'did somethin' stupid'"

Mikey barely dodged to book Raph hurled at his head.

"Can it Mikey!" He yelled at his brother.

Mikey continued his gaming, still laughing. I smiled.

"Awe, come on Raphael. You're just being a good friend, nothing wrong with that." I said. Raph kept walking. "Come on, come back."

He ignored me, storming off towards the training area. I waved it off.

"What a baby. It's not a bad thing to worry about people. He needs to cool his boots." I said. Mikey popped up again.

"But Matty, we don't wear boots." He said, totally serious. I shook my head.

"Figure of speech dude." I said. I walked over to Master Splinter's room, and removed my shoes before entering. Master Splinter sat, eyes closed, a steaming cup of tea sitting before him. I knelt and bowed.

"I'm sorry I'm late Master." I said straightening up. The old rat opened his eyes.

"Is everything well?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Yes, it's fine. My land lady showed up asking for rent early because she going on vacation. So I had to write her a check, and talk to her about a couple things that needed attention in the apartment." I explained. Master Splinter nodded.

"Very well then. Let's proceed with our lesson."

"Yes Master."

One hour later

I thanked Master Splinter for the lesson and left his room. As I was putting my shoes back on, Leo and Donnie came into the room. I smiled and waved.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked. Donnie waved back.

"Not much. Another lesson today?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. It's going good. I really like it, it's interesting." I said walking over to where he sat down. I leaned on the chair he was in. "Never gave a thought to the fact that the way you brew a tea could affect the taste." I said. I heard a scoff come from where Leo was sitting. I looked over at him, his face was buried in a history book.

I'm pretty sure Leo isn't fond of me. Between my swearing, general lack of being any kind of lady like, and tending to agree with most of Raph's opinions, I don't leave much for him to like. Mostly he doesn't talk to me. Sometimes he'll scoff, or roll his eyes if he thinks I'm not paying attention. I ignore it as best I can, which isn't usually my style. But there's already a lot of tension between Raph and Leo, I didn't want to add to it, but it was getting harder and harder to not say something.

I turned my attention back to Donnie.

"You guys come across anything interesting on your scouts lately?" I asked. Donnie started to answer, but Mikey popped up and cut him off.

"No! Absolutely nada. Needless to say, it's been totally boring." He said, sounding bummed out. Leo scoffed again.

"That's a good thing Mikey. It means there's been less crime going on." He said, his nose still buried in his book. Mikey gave a sheepish look and nodded.

"Yea, I guess so. Still boring though." He said, mumbling the last part.

Just then Raphael came back from the training room. I gave him a big cheesy grin.

"Hey, there's my big knight in shining green armor. Workout good? Get some of that aggression out of your system?" I asked him. He sulked past me and mumbled something that sounded like 'yeah, whatever'

I looked at my watch, almost 6P.M..

"Hey, you guys want to come up for some dinner? I got a pot roast going." I said. Mikey's head popped up again.

"Food? Home cooked food? Count me in dudette!" He said jumping up from his spot on the couch, putting his arm around my shoulders. Donnie stood up too.

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." He said. I looked at Raph.

"What about you red? You up for some home cooked grub?" I asked him. He put down the magazine he was looking at and stared at me for a beat, then shrugged his shoulders.

"why not." He said. I nodded.

"Leo, you in?" I asked, turning to the blue masked brother.

"I think I'll pass." He said, not looking up from his book. I sighed, feeling a little disheartened. I know I swore a little too much, was loud, and could be rough, but I wasn't disrespectful or rude. I didn't understand why he disliked me so much. I tried again.

"Awe, come on Leo. It's gonna be good. I got the recipe from one of my foster moms, Sydney. She was a killer cook. I was only with her for six months and I gained almost 20bls eating her food." I said laughing.

Raph gave a sly grin.

"Looks like a few of those pounds stuck around." He said, chuckling. My mouth fell open in phony shock. I reached over and pinched him.

"You jerk, that was mean!" I said breaking into a grin. He swatted my hand away. I looked over at Leo.

"So? I know you guys don't have anything worth eating here." I said. Leo put his book down, looking irritated.

"No thanks, really. I'll find something here." He said, picking his book up again.

I heard Raph huff. I looked over at him, and he had a scowl on his face. He wanted to say something. I put a hand on his arm, and shook my head.

" Well alright. There'll be plenty of leftovers so I'll make sure to send some back for you and Master Splinter." I said. I turned to the other guys. "Let's head out. I still have a couple things to do to finish dinner."

I said goodnight to Master Splinter and we left.

We made our way through the sewers to my apartment. Mikey and Donnie made idle chatter, though it was more poor Donnie nodding absently while Mikey babbled about his games. Raphael trailed behind us, silent steps and quiet breath. However, his agitation made the air around us so thick it could choke a horse. I dropped back to his pace.

"Still stewing over your brother?" I asked. He grunted. I sighed. "I'm not sure why he seems to dislike me so much. But, the problem is between me and him. I know it pisses you off, but I'd rather you stayed out of it." I told him. He grunted again.

"Whatever." He said. I looked over at him. He looked troubled, and his eyes held just the slightest hint of rage.

Poor Raph. He always too the worlds problems on himself. And it's only gotten worse over the last month.

A little over a month ago I was dancing at The Lounge, and I noticed a strange person in the crowd. Hat pulled over his eyes, trench coat, and a backpack. It was Raphael. At first I wondered why he was here, then I wondered how security let him in wearing that creeper outfit. When I finished my set I gathered my things and went to the alley, and called his name. He came out of the shadows; he seemed irritated. I asked him what he was doing there, he went on a rant about me dancing. We exchanged some less than appropriate and angry words, eventually we both calmed down and he came around to it( read: he gave up). When we started heading home, Leonardo showed up. Apparently Raph had been neglecting scout duty and Leo wanted to find out why. An argument ensued, but luckily heavy crowds from The lounge and surrounding bars kept it from escalating. Leonardo took off in a huff, and Raphael grumbled and cursed to himself the whole way to my apartment. Since then, spending time at the lair felt like walking through a minefield.

When we all reached my apartment, the guys kept to the alley and scaled the fire escape, and I went to the front door. The building has seven floors, but the stairs only go to six. There's a service elevator that goes to the seventh, my floor. There's two spaces on the seventh floor, my apartment, and a storage area the land lady uses.

It used to be when I'd walk into my apartment, it was quiet and dark. Once in a while my cat, Rumble, would greet me on the counter. But usually, his majesty just waited to be found and pampered.

Tonight, and many nights since meeting them, it was bright, ruckus, and full of turtles. Mikey had settled in his usual spot in front of the T.V., and Donnie was pulling down plates and things for Raph to set the table with.

I smiled to myself. I loved having them here, they made it feel like a home. Raphael caught me in my goofy state.

"What's with the dorky smile?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Nothing really." I said putting my keys in the dish on the counter. "Just feels good walking into a full house like this. It reminds me of when my mom would have her friends over. She used to say 'good people, make a good place'" I said, moving to stand in between Raph and Donnie. "And personally, I think I've found some really good people." I said smiling.

Mikey looked over from his spot.

"Yeah, I am pretty awesome." he said. We all rolled our eyes at him.

"Just for that Mikey, you get to help me clean up after dinner." I said to him. He hung his head in disappointment.

"Awe man!" He sighed. I smiled.

"Well, that and because Your brothers did set up. So it's only fair me and you clean up.

After dinner was done and cleaned up, the guys settled down in front of the T.V.. I went to my room and changed into my pajamas. When I came back out to the front room, they were still glued to the T.V., except Raph. He was starring out the window. Still thinking about his brother no doubt. I walked behind him, tapping him on the top of his head as I passed. I went out the other window to the fire escape and made my way up. I felt his weight behind me as we climbed. Raph sat at the table I had put on the roof, while I went to the ledge and looked up at the moon.

"Donnie said somethin' bout a super moon er' somethin' tonight." He said. I smiled to myself. He always uses random things when he's nervous. I turned to face him.

"Come here." I said, crooking a finger at him. A blush crept over his cheeks as he got up and walked towards me. He stopped in front of me, the blush receding, and something else creeping into his eyes.

"Up" I demanded. Obediently, Raph's hands went to my hips. He lifted me and sat me down on the ledge, so that we were almost eye to eye. His hands still rested on my hips, slowly stroking the exposed skin. I ran my hands up his arms, tracing the scarification on his left shoulder. He was still so tense. I looked him in the eyes and smiled.

"You look like you need something to help you relax." I said, leaning toward him. He mimicked my movements, and our lips met. The world around us melted away. The problems we faced; Leo, keeping us secret, every other significant and insignificant thing, just vanished.

We broke apart, and just held each other. A hand reached up and stroked my cheek. I opened my eyes and looked at Raphael. His eyes were still closed, as if he were just soaking up the moment. I smiled.

"How do you do that?" He asked, eyes still closed.

"Do what?" I asked, leaning back a little. His eyes opened.

"Make the world disappear." He said.

"I think that may be what people call 'feminine charm'." I said with a grin. This got me a smirk.

"Charm, I'll give you. Feminine, not so much." He said.

"Hey!"

"Come on, Matty. You can out belch Mikey, and you cuss like a sailor." He said, smiling.

"I don't swear that much anymore." I pouted.

"Yeah, cause Master Splinter started crackin' down on ya." He said laughing. I couldn't help but smile.

"You know, today is September 31st." I mused.

"Three months already?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yup." I said. Raph smiled and leaned in close.

"Well, here's to many more." He said.

And the world disappeared once more.


	3. Sucker punch

Chapter 3

October 31st

I woke up, light pouring in my bedroom window, blinding me. Scrunching up my face, I hissed at the sun, and pulled the covers over my face. Unfortunately, Rumble decided that it was time to feed his majesty.

In the kitchen, I poured Rumble some kitty kibbles and fresh water. While I was pouring myself a bowl of cereal, my phone began ringing. I picked it up.

"Good morning Green Machine. What's shakin'?" I asked.

"Not much. What's yer plans for the day?" Raphael asked from the other side of the line.

"Not much. I picked up an extra shift at the diner tonight, so I'm working a double. I won't get out of there till about ten. So I figure you can meet me in the alley behind Yonnie's, and we can go from there." I said, scarfing down a spoon full of cereal. "Wod id ou ave im mine? I said in between chewing.

"Jeeze, Matty. Swallow your food before you talk." He said. I could hear his smile on the other end.

"Sorry. So, tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll meet you at ten. Call if you have to stay later." He said. I nodded even though he couldn't see it.

"You got it chief. Over and out." I said.

"Weirdo." He said. "I'll see ya later babe." And he hung up.

I looked at the clock. 9:15! whirled around the apartment getting ready for work.

Fifteen minutes later, Barb, the head waitress, opened up the door to the Coney as I barreled through.

"Good morning Matilda." She said. "Luck is on your side today. Right on time."

I smiled at her as I put my things under the counter.

"It's gonna be a good day today, Barbie. It really is." I said beaming. Barb smiled at me.

"You're in a good mood today. You and your mystery boy have something planned tonight?" She asked. I nodded.

"Nothing special. Just dinner with his family." I said.

"That's nice." She said. "You need to bring this boy in one day. I want to meet the person who stole my best girl from me. You used to work triples if I was desperate. Now I can barely catch you for a double." she chided. I rolled my eyes when she looked away.

"He doesn't have a lot of spare time, with him and his brothers running the security jobs." I said to. At least it wasn't a total fib.

"Then how do you see each other?" She asked. I smiled at her.

"Very quickly." I said. Barb shook her head and clucked her tongue.

"Naughty girl." She said with a fake stern look on her face.

We both laughed and got to work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I said goodbye to everyone and slipped out the door. I walked around the building to the back alley. A shadow moved out of the corner.

"Hey lady. Whatcha doin' aaaalll by your lonesome out here?" The man asked. His speech slurred by drink no doubt.

"I'm not alone, so buzz off dirt bag. I don't have time for you." I said frowning. The guy stumbled forward.

"Now is that any way to talk to a new friend?" He asked.

"I've got plenty of friends, I don't need any more, sorry." I said. The guy continued to stumble forward. I backed up a couple of steps and bumped into something hard, then an arm slid around my waist. The drunk stopped in his tracks, I smiled.

"I told you I wasn't alone." I said.

"Beat it sleazball." Raph said in his 'batman' voice. I shook my head. My dark green knight. Ha!

The Drunk guy took off stumbling and flailing. I turned around. Raph smiled at me.

"Just can't keep outta trouble can ya?" He asked. I shrugged.

"What can I say? People love me." I said. I watched a fire dance up in his eyes that made my belly tingle.

"You're mine. No one else is allowed." He said and kissed me hard enough to send those belly tingles south. I smiled when we broke apart.

"You're in a good mood." I said as we walked towards the sewer entrance.

"It's my girls birthday. Why wouldn't I be in a good mood?" He said taking my hand.

"Good point. A birthday is always a reason to be happy." I said.

We reached the sewer cover and Raph released my hand. He grabbed a crobar he had put behind the dumpster. He pryed the cover off.

"After you." He said, putting the crobar back behind the dumpster. I started down the ladder.

"Such a genleman." I teased.

As we made our way to the lair, we talked aimlessly about our days. Neither one was particularly exciting. When we reached to lair, I went down the ladder first. The lair was pitch black. As i stepped off the ladder the lights flashed on, and everyone shouted 'surprise!' I couldn't help the cheesey grin on my face.

"Awe, thanks guys. You didn't have to do this." I said. I walked over to Mikey, Donnie, Leo, and Master Splinter and gave them each a hug.

"We couldn't not do it dudette! It's, like, your birthday!" Mikey said.

"Right. You gotta have a party on you birthday." Donatello said when I hugged him. I moved to Master Splinter next.

"Thank you Master." I said.

"You are most welcome my child. My sons are correct. A birthday is something to be celebrated. Especially one of such signifigance." He said to me. I blushed slightly.

"It's only 21 Master. The biggeset deal with that is I'm legal to drink. And I rarely drink as it is." I said. I looked over at Leo. He was shuffling his feet uncomfortably. I gave him a quick hug.

"Happy birthday" He said.

"Thanks Leo." i said. "So, what's for dinner?" I asked.

"Pizza of coarse!" Mikey said.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. Raph came to stand next to me..

"It's homemade pizza though." He said.

"Oh. Well that's nice. Who cooked?" I asked.

"Donnie made the pizza. Me and Mikey did the cake." Raph Said, motioning towards the cake in the middle of the table.

"It looks awesome guys. Thank you so much." I said.

We all sat down to eat. After dinner we gathered on the couch. I picked my bag off the floor and pulled out a photo bokk labled: Amber Elle Shepard.

"What's this?" Donnie asked.

"It's my mother's portfolio. A collection of pictures and shows she had done." I said. I heard Leo huff. I sighed. Was he really gonna act like this now?

I opened up my mothers book.

"Wow. She was beautiful Matty." Mikey said.

"Yeah. You two look almost exactly alike too." Said Donnie.

"Yeah. That's what everyone always says. But, I never thought I came close to her." I said. I looked over at Raphael. The look on his face made it obvious he felt otherwise. But, seeing as we haven't told anyone about us yet, he couldn't say so. I shrugged, he frowned. He hated it when I said self-depreciating things, drove him up the wall.

"Who are these other women?" Donnie asked. I looked at the picture.

"Kelly, Sheryle, Marie, And Rita. Mom worked with these girls the most. They were best friends. I was friends with Sheryle's daughter, Anastasia. I still talk to her once in a while. She went to Paris for culinary studies. She graduates next summer." I told them. Mikey had a slight blush in his cheeks. I laughed. "What's wrong Mikey?" I asked.

"I thought you said burlesque didn't do nude." He said. I looked a little closer at the picture. A couple of the girls were topless.

"Usually not. It's up to the girls really. This photo was from a skit they did. Can't remember what it was called." I explained. Leo huffed again. I glared at him, I'm over this crap.

"Leo. If you have something to say, then you should come out and say it. Instead of sitting over there huffing and puffing." I said. Everyone had straightened up, looking between Leo and I.

" I don't know what you're talking about." He said.

"Don't lie Leo. From day one you've been nothing but a stiff jerk to me. You huff, sigh, roll your eyes, or just plain ignore me when I talk. What exactly is it about me that you don't like so much?" I asked. He got up to walk away. I jumped out of my seat. Raph shot up right behind me, and reached for my arm. I yanked it out of his reach.

"Don't fucking touch me right now." I hissed at him. I stood in front of Leo, Raphael right behind me. "Well? You better start talking Leo." I growled. He glared at me.

"You're a stripper. That's my problem. You have no respect for yourself." He said.

"I am NOT a stripper Leo. I'm a burlesque dancer."

"Same thing. You're on a stage shaking your ass, while a bunch of grubby old men throw money at you. You talk about your mother like she's some kind of idol, she's just as trashy." He said. My jaw dropped, my vision going red.

"What did you just say Leo?" I seethed.

"Like mother, like daughter I guess. Looks like you're more like her than you thought." He sneered at me.

I never felt myself move. One minute I was standing there, then I was on top of Leo, aiming for his face. I got him on the side of his head, making it bounce off the concrete floor. Raph and Donnie each grabbed hold of an arm and peeled me off of Leo, while Mikey helped him up.

"crazy bi-" He started to say. I yanked my arm out of Donnie's grasp. My fist connected square with Leo's nose and blood spurted out. I lunged for him again. Before i could get close, Master Splinter's tail wrapped around my wrist. In that instant everything stopped. Raphael let go of my other arm, Mikey, Donnie, and Leo stood at attention. At that moment I realized I had been crying. I sniffled and wiped my face with my now free arm.

"I think it is time for you to go home now, Matilda." Master Splinter said. I looked at him in shock.

"M-Master, I-" I began. he cut me off.

"Not this night. Everyone is worked up and upset. I think it best for you to return home." He said. I hung my head. Raph went to grab my bag. Master Splinter stopped him.

"No my son. You will stay here with your brothers. I will escort Matilda home." He said.

Raph handed me my bag, his fingers lingering on mine for only a fraction of a second.

The walk home was long and quiet. When we finally reached the alley behind my apartment, I turned to Master Splinter.

"There are no words to express how sorry I am for my behavior tonight Master. I was completely out of line." I said bowing. When I rose, the old rat was smiling.

"There was wrong on both sides. My son should not have said such things. I believe a few days of reflection would suit all of us right now. I will send for you when I feel it is right for us to sit together and chat." He said. I nodded and gave him a hug goodbye. He watched me enter the building, then left.

As I entered my dark and silent apartment I realized, the next few days were going to be torture.


	4. Positive

Chapter 4

Day 1

Laid in bed all day watching Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies, while crying.

Day 2

Attempt to clean apartment, but end up staring blankly at the wall, while crying.

Day 3

Muddle through work, for which your tips suffer dearly.

Day 4

Realize your as bad as that emotionless wretch in Twilight, and don't give a damn, while crying.

Day 5

Once again muddle through work, get sent home, making sure to mope the whole way.

Day 6

Nearly a week without a word. Would I see them again? Would I see him again?

Day 7

Walking back from the store I called Chase, the owner of The Lounge, and told him I wouldn't be in tonight. He didn't ask why, Chase was good like that. Working with women for thirty plus years can teach you a thing or two, I guess. I punched in my entrance code for the front door, stepped inside, made sure the door closed and headed for the elevator. The elevator reached the sixth floor, and I hoofed it up the rest of the stairs. After I closed and locked my door I set my bags down on the counter, and tossed my keys in the bowl on the side table. As I was hanging up my jacket I heard a noise come from my room. I looked to the counter where Rumble was sitting. It wasn't the cat. I grabbed the baseball bat I kept behind my front door and tip toed towards my room. When I can to the door, something reached out for me. I closed my eyes and screamed as I swung the bat. The person caught the bat and held onto it as I tried to take it back.

"Matty. Babe, open your eyes. It's me, it's Raph!"

I stopped struggling and opened my eyes. Before me, Raphael stood, wide eyed. I dropped the bat and burst into tears. Raph's arms wound around me, and he kissed the top of my head.

"Alright, alright. Calm down. What are you cryin' for?" He said, rubbing my back.

"I've been crying for a whole week! And I hate it! I hate that I haven't been able to see you, or Mikey, or Donnie, Or Master Splinter. I hate the things that Leo said, I hate the things I did. I hate that I've been moping around the past week. I hate everything right now! I don't cry! I have never acted like this in my whole life! I can't stand it!" I sobbed into the front of his shell. I felt him shake with silent laughter. "Don't laugh at me." I pouted. Raph released me and looked into my eyes.

"Hey. Things happen, things get said. It's over now." He said. I wiped my face with my sleeve, and nodded.

"Am I allowed to come back now? Is that why you're here?" I asked. Raphael shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, actually...Nobody knows I'm here." He said. I sighed.

"You went behind Master's back? Not very smart babe..." I said shaking my head. He shrugged.

"It's been a week. I think that's enough."

"Well it's not really about what we think, it it? Master doesn't do or say things for no good reason." I said.

"Well, I can go I guess." Raph said as he turned to leave. I latched onto his arm.

"NO! no. I mean, you're already here after all." I said. Raph smiled at me.

"That's what I thought." He said. I yawned. "You're tired." He said. I nodded.

"I haven't been sleeping very good lately. No idea why." I said with a half smirk. He smiled too.

"Maybe you should lay down." He said. I nodded again and began changing into my nightshirt.

Raphael sat on the edge of the bed and watched my every move. I smiled at the thought of him watching me. I liked it. Made me feel powerful, like I was the center of everything. I took my time. Each piece of clothing took way more time than it should have to be removed. His eyes never left my body. When I was down to my Bra and panties, I turned away from him, facing my dresser. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, he didn't like that. I smiled again, tuff nuts sweetface. I opened the drawer with my night stuff, pretending to rifle through it. When I found the one I wanted, I pulled it out and draped it over the chair. I played with the straps of my bra.

"I can't go to bed with this uncomfortable thing." I said. I reached behind me, pretending that I couldn't reach the clasps. "But it seems I can't reach. If only I had some help." I said, batting my eyes at him. Raph got up off the bed and walked towards me. I looked into his eyes, and right now, they were black as night. I felt his fingers on my back. They nimbly undid to clasp of my bra, then traced circles on my skin.

My nightshirt stayed on the chair that night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I woke up to the sound of my phone alarm going off. Opening my eyes, I found it sitting on the bed next to me. I knew Raph had gone home already, being that he wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. I picked up my phone. The alarm flashed, with a message under it. _I love you.-R. _Reading it instantly made me feel giddy. It was always implied, but never said before this.

I sat up, leaning against the backboard. That's when I noticed. Somewhere in the night, my nightshirt and my panties had switched places. Tingles ran through my body and I smiled again. A loud meow came from the window where Rumble was sitting. He stared at me accusingly.

"Don't judge me cat. We've been together for four months. It was perfectly acceptable." I said. I saw a flat box with a big red bow on the top sitting next to Rumble. I slid to the other side of the bed, leaned over and grabbed it. There was a note on it.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't wanna go home right now_

And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
When sooner or later it's over  
I just don't wanna miss you tonight

Lyrics to one of my favorite songs. I smiled. taking off the lid, I found another note on top of some tissue paper.

_Even if I had been human, I never would have thought I could land a girl like you. I'm amazed by you every single day, and I can't get enough. _

_And, since I didn't get to give you your present the other night, here it is. Looking forward to teaching you how to use them _=)

I removed the tissue paper. Underneath it was the most beautiful pair of sai I had ever seen. The monuchi was slightly flat, and faceted. Standard yoku. But the most stunning part was the Tsuka. Wrapped in an emerald green cloth, with a thin strap of hand carved leather with a filigree pattern spiraling down its leangth. Embedded in the butt of the tsuka was a green gem, surrounded by smaller white ones. A little peice of paper lay underneath them.

_Toushi custom Weapons_

_Hokkaido, Japan_

He had them commissioned! They were commissioned and imported from Japan. I felt tears sting my eyes. He really put thought into these. I smiled and got off the bed. I gripped them like I had shown me with his. They're weight was good. Not super light, and not heavy, like Raph's. His were way too heavy for me to use. He had attempted to teach me once, but I kept fumbling them. I tried spinning one and nearly dropped it.

"Oops." I said. I layed them back in the box and put the lid on. I looked at my clock. It was 7:15. I turned to Rumble. "Come on Sir. Let's go eat some breakfast."

After breakfast I got ready to go to work. I had a short shift today, so I could get home later and actually clean my apartment. It was a mess. I have no idea why.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Work went relatively quickly. I made decent tips. As I passed the alley by my building I heard a voice call out.

"Pssst!"

I stopped and turned.

"Pssst!"

"Who's there? Come out." I said. A head popped out from behind the dumpster. It was Mikey.

"Mikey! What are you doing here?" I said. I jogged over to him and squeezed him in a huge hug. "I'm so happy to see you!" I squealed. I released him. "But what are you doing here? In broad daylight no less? That's dangerous."

"I have official business." He said matter of factly.

"Oh really? And what might that be?" I asked. He gave a big cheesy grin.

"I'm here to bring you home, dudette!" He said beaming. "Master Splinter says it's time. Every one is waiting." He said more somberly.

I grimaced slightly. That meant Leo too. I knew this is what I was waiting for anyway, but now that it was here, I wasn't so sure I was ready. I had never been so angry in my life, as I was that night. I'd never been in a fight for that matter. The tension and awkwardness that was waiting for me in the lair was not a welcoming thought. but, it had to be done. I was with Raph, though nobody knew that. And they were all my friends, even Leo, despite what had happened. I didn't hate him. I just didn't understand his prejudice. I shook it all off for now. I'll deal with that stuff when we got there.

"Ok, then. Let's go get this over with." I said. Mikey nodded.

We headed down into the sewers. When we reached the lair, I stopped. Mikey turned to me.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Last time I was here, I punched your brother in the face and smacked his head off the floor." I said. His eyes widened a bit.

"Yeah, that you did. That was intense, and kinda scary. Totally promised myself I'd never piss you off, that's for sure." He said. That got me to smile.

"I'm sorry." I said. Mikey shrugged.

"Water under the bridge dudette." He said. I nodded.

Mikey went down the ladder first. I followed him. He waited at the bottom and offered a hand to help me down. I took it and hopped off the ladder.

Master Splinter stood by the couches, the other brothers behind him. I looked at my feet.

"I feel like I'm being court marshalled..." I mumbled. Mikey slung his arm over my shoulders.

"No court marshall sis. Just a family meeting. It won't be that bad." He said low enough that only I could hear.

I nodded. I went and stood before Master Splinter and bowed.

"Hello Master." I said. I straightened up. He was smiling.

"Welcome back Matilda. Come, Let us all sit." He said, taking a seat. I sat next to Master Splinter. Donnie sat on the other side of him, Raph sat in the chair across from us, and Leo chose the seat farthest from me. It felt like all the courage I had mustered had suddenly been sucked out of me, like a vacuum. I sat, hands in my lap, head down. Tears stinging my eyes, I didn't want to look up. Master Splinter's hand reached over and took mine, squeezing gently. I scrunched my face and shook my head, taking my hand back from him.

"I'm sorry Master. But I can't do this. I thought I was ready, but I'm not." I said. I looked at Master Splinter, and everyone. "I thought I was ready to forgive Leo for what he said, to apologize for what I did. But I just can't, not right now." I paused, sighing. "I-this past week has been awful. I missed you guys so much, I really thought I was over it. But being back here, just makes all those things come flooding back. It still hurts, and I realize, I'm still angry."

"Matty..." I heard Raphael whisper. I shook my head again.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time everyone." I said as I got up to leave. Master Splinter spoke.

"Thank you for your honesty, Matilda. I hope we will see you back here one day." He said. I looked at him, his eyes filled with remorse.

"Maybe one day Master. This is by no means goodbye. Just a...break I guess." I said. Master Splinter nodded.

"Donatello, would you please escort Matilda home." He said. Donatello got up.

"Hai, Sensei." He said, following me out of the lair.

It was quiet for the first few minutes, then he spoke.

"So...uh...it's been a long week, huh?" He said. I nodded.

"You have no idea." I said. Donnie began digging in one of his pockets. He handed me a flash drive.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's a flash drive." He said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.

"I know that smartass. I meant what's it for? What's on it?" I asked.

"It's for your birthday. It's full of pictures, of all of us together." He said. "There's even a short video from April and Vern."

"Oh, Well that's nice. I can't wait till they get back from their journalism tour. I really want to meet them in person" I said. I'd only ever spoken to them briefly via video chat. After someone the guys called Shredder and the Foot Clan had been taken down, April and Vern had been invited to tour several different countries for exploratory journalism. They have been gone for nearly a year, and were due back just before Christmas.

"Yeah. They're looking forward to meeting you too." He said.

The rest of the walk was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Next to Raph, Donnie always seemed to understand me the most. It was just easy being with him. He didn't expect anything from you, and he just seemed to radiate a calmness that was infectious. He knew when to talk and when to offer silent companionship.

When we reached my building, he gave me a quick hug.

"I really hope we see you in the lair again soon. It's not the same without you there, Matty." He said. I smiled.

"I'm sure I will, eventually. It's just not the right time, right now. Tonight, I really felt like I could start screaming at him all over again." I said. He just nodded.

"I understand." He said.

"You guys should come up for dinner soon too. It's supposed to be nice on Saturday. I got some hamburger I can grill." I said.

"Sounds good. I'll let the guys know when I get back." He said. I nodded.

"Cool. See ya later, Donnie." I said. I started walking towards the front, and waved.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few hours later

I sat on the couch with the news on. Rumble had climbed in my lap, purring like a diesel truck. I felt better. Even though the issue wasn't actually resolved, I felt better having said how I felt. I could tell by Leo's body language, he hadn't been ready either. With neither of us willing to cooperate, the meeting would have been useless, and may have resulted in another fight. Better to give ourselves more time, rather than try and force it just to say we made up.

A tapping sound came from my window. I looked over and saw Raphael standing there. I pushed Rumble off of my lap and got up. I unlocked the window and backed away so Raph could get in. He stood in front of me.

"Hi." I said.

"Hi." He replied. Then he hugged me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and we just stood there for a minute. When we let go of each other, he took my hand and led me to the couch. He sat, then pulled me into his lap. We layed like that on the couch and watched the news for a little while. After about ten minutes he spoke.

"I'm glad you told the truth today. I'm proud of you. I know that wasn't easy." He said kissing the top of my head. I snuggled closer to him.

"I think it may be time to tell the others, about us I mean. With me not going to the lair for a while, and you disappearing more often, they'll figure it out sooner or later. Might as well come from us." I said. Raph sighed.

"I know." Was all he said.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I woke up in my bed, Rumble sprawled on my back. I don't remember falling asleep. Another note on the extra pillow told me Raph was long gone. I picked it up.

_I love you-R_

I smiled. It's amazing how good three little words can make you feel. I looked at my phone. Only 7am. I didn't have to work at the diner today, and I didn't have to be at the lounge till 8pm. Back to bed it was.

When I woke up again it was nearly 2. I got up and cleaned up the apartment a little. Made something to eat, watched a couple movies, and took a nap. At 6:30 I got ready and headed to the lounge.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next few weeks went by pretty fast. The guys came over several times a week, either to eat dinner or just hang out. Sometimes Raphael would sneak back later and spend the night, or at least until I fell asleep. Every time, there would be a note somewhere that said _I love you. _

Despite us both knowing we would eventually tell everyone about us, neither one of us made a move to do so. Exactly what we were worried about, we just couldn't figure out. It was just some unknown, and most likely unrealistic, fear that haunted us.

While I was in the bathroom removing make-up, my phone alarm buzzed. The message read 'Check pads'. I did this every month, a day before I was supposed to start, so I wasn't caught without during every girls favorite time of the month, it's never fun. I opened the cupboard and found a whole pack, I was set.

Then I got a text from Raphael saying that he wouldn't be able to come by tonight cause he was on patrol with Leo. That disappointed me a little. I finished in the bathroom and sulked to the kitchen for a snack. I turned on the T.V. When I started to nod off, I turned the T.V. off and went to bed.

The next morning I worked my shift at the diner. When I left there, I stopped at the corner store for some milk and bread. As I was walking away from the dairy cooler, a man bumped into me.

"I'm sorry miss. I wasn't watching where I was going" he apologized. I shook my head and smiled.

"No biggie. No harm done." I said. He smiled back.

"Right. Well, you have a nice day." He said.

"Yeah, you too." I said and walked away. Just as I was at the counter, I heard a voice behind me.

"Miss, you dropped your wallet back there." The guy who bumped into me said. I turned. He walked up to me and handed me my wallet. "Must've fell out when I bumped you, sorry about that." With that, he left.

I opened my wallet, everything was still there. Hm, guess there's some hope for mankind after all. I paid for my items and went home.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few days later Mrs. Spenner came over to talk about some things that were going to be happening with the building. Nothing big, just a few repairs. While she was here I wrote her a check for the rent. As I was filling out the date on the check, something registered in my mind. I was four days late. I stopped writing and stared at the date on the check.

"Matty? Are you ok?" Mrs. Spenner asked. I snapped out of it.

"Yeah, sorry. Spaced out for a second. No worries. Here's the check." I said, finishing and handed it to her. She smiled.

"Thanks Matty. So, just remember to look out for the repair guys. I'll see you next time." She said. When she was gone, I flew to the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror.

There's no way right? It has to be impossible. I'm a human, he's a reptile…a mutated reptile, but still a reptile. It just couldn't be. No way, no how. I kneeled down and searched frantically till I found what I was looking for.

About a week ago, a co-worker from the diner had a pregnancy scare. She hadn't wanted to do the test at her mother's home, so I told her she could do it here. The box still had three left.

Ten minutes later, I stared at all three tests. Each one bore a little pink plus sign. I couldn't believe it. Three. Three tests! And they all said yes. I burst out into a fit of nervous giggling. And we were worried telling everyone we were dating, Ha! Next thing I knew, my nervous giggling turned into tears.

I walked out to the living room and picked up my phone. It rang once.

"Hey babe." Raphael answered. That meant he was alone, good. I took a deep breath,

"Hey Raph." I said, my voice audibly shaky.

"What's wrong Matty?" He asked immediately.

"Do you think you can come over? Like, right now?" I asked.

"Babe, what's wrong." He asked again.

"Please Raph. Just come over. Meet me on the roof. We need to talk." I said. He sighed.

"Yeah, ok. I'll see in ten." He said and hung up. I set my phone down on the counter. I made my way up to the roof. When I got up there, I went to the ledge, and stared out into the night. I heard a noise come from behind me. I turned around.

Instead of Raphael, it was a man. He was shirtless, with black cargo pants, combat boots, and a black mask that covered the lower half of his face. On his right shoulder was a giant purple dragon tattoo.

"Who the fuck are you?" I asked, starting to panic. He said nothing. He advanced on me, and I tried to run, knocking over a chair. He caught my right arm, and I threw a left hook, hitting him in the jaw. He backhanded me and I saw stars. He drew a syringe from his pocket and stuck the needle in my shoulder. Within seconds my vision went blurry, then nothing.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raph's POV

What the hell was going on? Why wouldn't she tell me what was wrong? So secretive, it wasn't like her. She always told me what she was thinking, or how she felt about something. Was she say it was time to tell everyone? Was she gonna break up with me? The more I thought about it, the more pissed off I got. What the fuck.

When I reached the rooftop, Matty was nowhere to be seen. I called her name. Nothing. Maybe she went into the apartment for something. I went down the fire escape, climbing in her window. Rumble sat on the table, he meowed loudly.

"Can it cat. Where's your mom?" I said. "Matty! Where are you?" I shouted. Still nothing. I went down the hall towards her room. I glanced into the dimly lit bathroom, not in there. In her room, things were untouched. The bed was still made, pajamas on the chair, waiting to be used. irritation gave way to panic. I took out my phone and dialed her number. It started ringing. I heard her answering ring coming from the kitchen. I hurried out there, only to find her phone sitting on the counter. I picked it up. The last phone call she made was to me.

"Damn!" I shouted. I dialed home. Leo picked up.

"What's up Raph?" He asked.

"Get everyone to Matty's. Now." I said.

"What's wrong?"

"She's missing." I said and hung up.

Ten minutes later, my brothers were here. Leo looked at me.

"When was the last time you talked to her?" He asked.

"Just about a half hour ago. She said she was bored and wanted some company. She told me to meet her on the roof. When I got here, she was no where. Her phone was on the kitchen counter. The last call she made was me. No unknown incoming calls either." I said. I could feel myself shaking with anger and worry. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down a little.

"It's not like dudette to just take off, and not tell anyone." Mikey said. Donnie nodded.

"Yeah. Especially if she called Raph to come over." He said.

"All right guys, spread out. Donnie, Mikey, you guys go back to street level, see if you can find clues down there. Raph, go back up to the roof. Give it another look. I'll look in the apartment." Leo said. We split up. I went back out the window and up the fire escape.

Back on the roof, I scanned the sight before me. No strange objects, no notes. The only thing I noticed was an overturned chair. I went back down to the apartment.

"Raph. Come here." I heard Leo call for me. I headed to where I heard his voice come from, the bathroom. He was staring at something on the sink.

"What is it, bro?" I asked. He moved over and pointed. "What is it?"

"They're pregnancy tests Raph." He said. It didn't register.

"OK? So what?" I said. Leo shook his head.

"They're all positive, Raph." He said. My mind refused to hear it.

"What's your point Leo?" I said, getting irritated.

"It means Matty is pregnant, Raphael." he said. Suddenly, my brain soaked up the information. My eyes shot open wide, my jaw slack.

"M-Matty's pregnant?"


	5. Crisis

Chapter 5

Get ready for some P.O.V. whiplash.

Leo p.o.v.

We gathered in the living room and I told the other brothers about the situation. Donnie and Mikey sat in shock. Raphael sat by the window and stared at the floor.

"She never mentioned she was seeing anyone to you guys?" I asked. Both Donnie and Mikey shook their heads no.

"No, never. I don't know where she would find the time. She was always working, or with at least one of us." Donnie said.

"Maybe that's why she didn't want to come to the lair anymore." Mikey said. I nodded absently.

"I think we should focus on finding out who she was seeing. He might be the abductor, or have some sort of information." I said.

Raph p.o.v.

The world around me was a void. I could barely hear the conversation that was going on right now.

Pregnant. I was still trying to wrap my head around it. Matilda was going to have a baby. My baby.

I didn't understand how it was even possible. We weren't even the same species, the reason we didn't bother with protection. It never occurred to us that there was even a snowball's chance in hell that it could happen. I knew she hadn't been with anyone else, she wasn't that kind of person.

Pregnant. Just barely 19 and I was gonna be a dad. I was going to be a dad! The millisecond of excitement was squashed by worry and fear. We had no idea where Matty was. Who she was with, if she was ok. The darkest thought flashed in my mind, I shook it off. She was alive, I knew that.

Slowly, my brothers voices got louder and clearer.

"I think we need to focus on finding out who she's been seeing. He might be the abductor, or have some sort of information." Leo said.

"It's me." I mumbled.

Everyone turned to look at me. Leo stepped forward.

"What?" He said.

"It's me. I'm the one she's been seeing. We've been dating for the past five months." I said firmly.

Donnie's eyes shot wide open, and Mikey's jaw dropped.

"She called me tonight and said we needed to talk. I'm guessing this was why." I said. Leo shook his head.

"Well this is just great. " He said. I glared at him.

"This isn't the time for your prejudices Leo." I growled.

"How could you be so irresponsible Raphael?' He asked.

"We're two different species, Leo. The idea that she could get pregnant never crossed our minds. We were surprised we could do it in the first place." I said, mumbling that last part to myself.

"Always so damn reckless." he said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"She's pregnant Raphael. And now she's missing."

"Which is what we need to be focusing on, not this third degree shit."

"We wouldn't have to be doing this is if you-"

"Just shut the hell up Leo, ok? If you're gonna help, then help. If all you're gonna do is bitch, then you can just go home and complain to Master Splinter about how much of a fuckup I am." I yelled at him. We were almost nose to nose. Donnie and Mikey poised to break us up. I took a deep breath, sighed, and backed away.

"I'm done." I said. Everyone looked at me surprised.

"What?" Leo asked.

"I'm done, Leo. You do what you want. I have to find Matty. When she called me tonight, she sounded terrified. I don't have time for you and your ridiculous dislike for her. So go home, or on patrol, or what ever. I don't care." I said. Leo stared at me.

"Fine." He said, and he left out the window. I turned to my remaining brothers.

"We got work to do, let's get started." I said. Both nodded.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Lair

Leo p.o.v.

"Are you sure she was taken my son?" Master Splinter asked. I nodded.

"Yes. She left her phone, wallet and purse behind." I said. "I don't believe she would've left with nothing, especially in her current condition. Raphael is determined to find her, at all costs."

"I believe you are correct." Master said.

"I don't understand why they never said anything about them being together all this time."

"Do you not?" Master asked. "Leonardo, you have not been very welcoming to Matilda since she first came to us. Repeatedly refusing her offers of peace. Matilda is a very open and up front person, who veils nothing about who she is, and appreciates others who do the same. I am surprised she waited so long to confront you. While I do not condone the violence, I understand her frustration with you. And, the words you spoke were completely out of line."

I hung my head.

"I could only imagine that they were worried about their physical differences as well. And, aside from April and Vernon, there have been no other humans in our lives."

"There was nothing though. No clue as to what happened to her, Master. The only thing was an overturned chair on the roof. Other than a there was a struggle, we have nothing else." I said. Master Splinter sipped his tea.

"Go back to Matilda's apartment. Bring your brothers back."

"Hai, Sensei."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Apartment

Raph p.o.v.

After searching both the apartment and surrounding area again, the three of us met back up on the rooftop.

"Anything?" I asked. Donnie shook his head.

"Nothing. There's been no reports made, aside from a couple armed robberies. This is not looking good." He said.

I tried not to think about it. There had to be something, anything. We just kept missing it somehow.

"You gotta give me something Donnie, anything. An idea." I said, panic in my voice. Donnie hacked away at his laptop for a minute.

"Looks like she used her bank card a couple days ago, at the liquor store down the street. We could ask some questions there. Sometimes a premeditated abduction includes the abductor making contact with the subject, for a variety of reasons. Confirming identity, other types of information, or even just the thrill of being close before the event." he said. I nodded.

"That's good. Mikey-" I started, then Leo showed up. I glowered at him "What?" I spit. A look came across his face that looked like guilt.

"I told master Splinter Matty is missing. He wants us back at the lair to plan." He said. I shook my head.

" No, I-"

"Raph please-"

"We've got something Leo. You three go back. I'm gonna go-"

"What is it?" Leo asked. I blinked at him, he was being too cool about this.

"The liquor store down the street. She used her bank card there the other day. Maybe the clerk might remember something, if anything happened." I said. Leo nodded.

"I'll go." He said.

"I got this-"

"Raph, we both know that if that clerk doesn't give you the answers you want, you're going to panic and lose your temper with them. I'll go. You guys go back to the lair." Leo said firmly. I let out a sigh and nodded. He was right of course. I was so worked up right now, I didn't know how I was functioning. I looked at Donnie and Mikey.

"Let's go bros." I said. As I passed Leo I put my hand on his shoulder. "Please Leo, try and get something from them."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Leo p.o.v.

I laid my hand over my brothers.

"I'll do what I can Raphael, I promise." I said. He nodded slightly, and my brothers left. I went into the apartment and grabbed the trench coat and hat that was in the closet, and then made my way to the liquor store.

I went in, the place was empty save the clerk. When the elderly man saw me his eyes shot open wide.

"C-can I hel-help you?" He asked, panicking.

"I just have some questions, that's all." I said. He visibly relaxed.

"Oh sure, sure." He said.

"Thank you. First off, do you remember ever seeing this young woman? She's a friend of mine, and she went missing a couple days ago. No ones heard from her. Last we knew, she stopped by here before presumably going home." I said, showing him a picture of Matty. The old man squinted as he looked at the photo. He shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry I don't remember seeing her the other day. But I worked during the day, my grandson worked the evening. He's in the back."m he said, then turned and shouted, "Joe, come out here for a minute!"

A young man walked out from the back of the store and came to the counter.

"Hey Pops, what's up?" He asked.

"This gentleman is looking for a friend of his, this young woman. Says she stopped by here before she disappeared. Do remember seeing her?" The old clerk said, showing his grandson the photo. The boy stared at the picture for a moment.

"Oh! Yeah, she was in here the other day. Bought some milk and bread." He said. My heart jumped a little.

"Did she say anything? Maybe about someone following her? Or strange things happening that day?" I asked, my hope rising. The boy shook his head, my shoulders dropped. He saw my disappointment, then looked as if he was trying to remember something else that might help. His eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers.

"There was this dude in here too. Looked pretty normal I guess. He bumped into her back by the milk. Then when she came up here to pay, he came up behind her with her wallet. Saying something about it falling out when they bumped. He handed it to her and left. She checked and said everything was still there. She paid then left. Not even two minutes later that guy came back in. He had his hood down this time. Came up to me and asked if she came in often. I said I'd seen her a few times, then he left again." He said.

"Do you remember what he looked like? Any outstanding features?" I asked. Joe went back to looking like he was in thought.

"He had this weird dragon tattoo on his neck. It was purple. That's about it. He looked pretty normal aside from that. I don't remember seeing him before, and I haven't seen him since." He said.

I thanked them both for their time and headed back to the lair. When I got there Raphael shot up off the couch and came to me.

"Well?" He asked.

"I've got some information. It's not a lot, but I think we may be able to do something with it." I told him. We went back and sat with the others. I looked at Master Splinter.

"I'm sorry for not coming back right away Father." I said. He shook his head.

"There is nothing to be apologizing for." He said. "What news do you bring us my son?" He asked.

"The clerk from the other night was there. He remembered Matty coming in. Said a man bumped into her while she was there. As she was at the counter, the same man came up to her, and handed her wallet to her, mentioning that it must have fallen out when they bumped. He said the man left. Matty checked her wallet, said everything was still there, paid for her things and left. Two minutes later the man came back asking if the clerk saw her often. He also said that he had a purple colored dragon tattoo on his neck." I said. I heard Donnie clicking away at his computer.

"Got it!" He shouted excitedly. Raphael moved over to where Donnie was.

"What is it Don? What do you got?" He asked

"The Purple Dragons. It's a gang that was big back in the 80's. Two major factions, one here in New York, the other out in California. Trademark was people colored dragon tattoo to identify other members. Specialized in drug and weapons trafficking." He read. I looked at Raphael.

"Raphael, didn't Matty tell you something about when her mom died. Didn't she say that it was a gang called the purple dragons that firebombed the apartment building?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah. But she said the policed ruled that it was random gang violence. There were other reports of firebombings in the area through out the week. Like five other buildings were hit." He said.

"He's right. Twelve deaths total, including Matty's mother…." Donnie said. "It also says that violence from the purple dragons died down significantly after the last bombing, the one her mother died in."

"You think Matty's mom had something to do with the dragons?" Raphael asked.

"It's a possibility we should keep in mind. It could be that whatever her mom was involved in was significant enough for them to decide that they wanted Matty too. Maybe they think she might have some information they need." I said. Then Master Splinter finally spoke.

"You will go back to the apartment tonight. But do not go in. Observe from afar. Perhaps someone will return to search the apartment. Return at dawn, and then we will decide what to do next." He said. We all got up and headed out.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raph p.o.v.

When we reached the apartment, we each went to a different angle to keep watch. Donnie and Mikey left, I stayed behind. Leo looked at me.

"Thank you Leo." I said. Leo shook his head.

"Matty is family. I might not agree with some of the things she does, but that doesn't mean I hate her. I think, I was mostly disappointed with her. She's smart, and talented. She could be doing anything with her life, but she chose burlesque dancing." Leo said. I looked at him. " I guess I just didn't know how to respond to that. We didn't get that close, and that's my fault, so everything just escalated."

"We'll bring her home. And then you can tell her all that yourself." I told him. He nodded. I took off to my post.

We watched. All night, and not a peep the whole time. At dawn we gathered.

"Maybe they saw us there last night." Mikey said.

"Could be. Or maybe there's nothing there they want." Donnie said.

"Either way, it was a bust. We should go back to the lair now. Let Master Splinter know, and find out what to do next." Leo said.

"You guys go on ahead. I'm gonna go get Rumble. Spoiled rotten animal is probably freaking out with no one there to feed him." I said. Leo nodded, and they left. I went to the apartment. Rumble sat on the counter, and meowed loudly when I entered.

"I know stumpy, mom isn't here to feed you." I said.

My heart sank as I said the words. The apartment was so empty, so, dead feeling. As I walked down the hallway, and came to the bathroom, I stopped. Looking in, I stared at the sink. Three tests sat there, three little plus signs all in a row. My life, which at one point seemed to really be going nowhere in particular, suddenly seemed to be going in a straight line. All because of those three little pieces of plastic. I had to find her. No matter the outcome, I had to. Or else I would spend the rest of my life in despair. She had become the most important thing in my life, bar non. Now, I had purpose, focus, true drive, love. Real, whole, love. A thing I never thought in a million years would ever be available for someone like me. My brothers and I were an anomaly on this earth. I thought that there would never be anymore like us. Now everything has changed. A chance to leave behind a legacy, a chance to continue our bloodline like a normal family.

Rumble meowed at my feet. I picked him up, found his carrier and put him in, gathered his things, and left the apartment. Somehow I managed not to look back.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I woke feeling disoriented, and sore. As I tried shifting around I discovered I was tied to a chair. The room I was in was dark save the light bulb above me. How cliché.

A man stepped out from the shadows, with the thug that clocked me trailing behind. Both bore a purple dragon tattoo.

"Welcome, Miss Shepard. It's good to see you awake. I've been waiting for some time to see you again. We've got quite a bit to talk about." He said. A malicious grin spread on his lips. Suddenly, the recognition hit me, and my jaw dropped.

"Harper Gates!?"


	6. Cuts and Bruises

Chapter 6

I stared open mouthed at the man before me. How could it be?

"How are you here? You disappeared, Mom said you died." I asked. The man before me smiled.

"Legally, I am dead. But I go by a different name now. Several, in fact. It's just easier." He said. "After we killed your mother, We had to go underground for a while. Luckily, those ridiculous Foot people came about, and the world forgot about us almost completely. Allowing us to work in peace."

My eyes shot open.

"Killed…YOU killed my mother?! WHY?!" I shouted, tears stinging my eyes. Harper smiled again. An evil smile.

"Oh the things you don't know." He said. He walked forward and stood in front of me. He leaned down so he was eye level. The thick smell of cologne assaulted my nose, and I moved my head as far back as I could.

"What don't I know?" I asked.

"You're mother wasn't just some useless dancer, oh no. She was brilliant in chemistry, bio-chemistry to be exact. We were working on a serum to fix pre-natal conditions, and to make people stronger." He said.

"You're kidding, right? Like the super soldier serum they used on Captain America in those comics? That's ridiculous." I said, actually managing a small chuckle. A mistake. Harper backhanded my face, the chair rocked, and I tasted blood in my mouth.

"Oh now, see what you made me do? I really hate being violent, that's why I have Vigo here." Harper said. "You two met yesterday. I didn't mean for you to be out for that long. It seems the sedative we gave you was stronger than I thought."

I just glared. He smiled at me, and took a few steps back.

"Now, back to the things you don't know. Your mother was a bio chemist for our little group back then. Of coarse she didn't know that. She thought she was being some do-gooder helping babies and such. And yes, we were trying to make something close to that 'Super soldier' serum. The profit on the black market for such an item would be astronomical." Harper began pacing in front of me. His brows furrowing, as if he were getting irritated.

"We tested on animals numerous times, with no results what so ever. We were nearing the end of our rope when your mother was hit with some devastating news. Her poor, little unborn baby girl was showing signs of a debilitating disease. All of a sudden, we had a willing human subject." He said. The news was hard to take in.

Mom was a bio chemist? I was used as a guinea pig? For some weird super potion? Harper continued.

"After a few injections, you showed signs of great progress. But that's when things went south. Somehow your mother found out what the serum was really for. She destroyed everything and fled." He said.

That explains why we moved so much, I thought to myself.

"So why come after me?" I asked.

"I know she kept journals, and files full of information and documents. I want those back." He growled. I huffed.

"Well I don't have them. Everything she ever owned was burned in the apartment fire. The-the one she died in, the one YOU started! How could you?! All I ever heard about you was how good a person you were, that you were her friend! She said that you were killed by a mugger." I was seething then. Harper's face was blank.

"That's what I wanted people to think. It made it easier for me to work behind the scenes. That's when I really started looking for your mother. How she managed to evade me for that long I'll never figure out."

Tears began to sting my eyes. He was so blasé about this, heartless bastard.

"I don't have anything of hers. All I have are photos, and those I got from women she used to work with." I said. Harper shook his head.

"Well that is just too bad. I guess I'll just have to leave you here with Vigo, see if perhaps you remember something. If not, then at least he gets to have some fun" He said. My eyes shot open wide with fear.

Harper walked towards the door, Vigo came forward, a malicious grin on his face. A hand grasped my chin, squeezing hard.

"You have a pretty face little one. I think I may change this."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

One week later

Raph's Pov

The sound of a door busting open jolted me out of the fitful sleep I was in. I found myself still in the computer chair in front of a screen filled with Purple Dragon info. Looking across the room I could see Mikey and Leo, both in similar situations. At the door Donnie came storming in.

"We've got Purple Dragon activity! Police just came over the scanner, just five blocks east! They raiding a gun shop" He shouted. I jumped up.

"Let's go." I said. Leo stood.

"Easy, Raphael. We should tell Master Splinter first." He said calmly.

"It's been a week already! We can't wait any longer!" I growled. Leo put his hands up, then looked at Mikey and Donnie.

"You two go to Master Splinter, let him know what's going on. Raph and I will head over there first." He said. Donnie nodded, and he and Mikey went to find Master Splinter. I was already climbing the ladder when I heard Leo call me. I stopped and looked down at him, I could tell by the look on his face, he was anxious too.

"We need to keep a level head Raph. I know you want to find her, but rushing in there and throwing them around won't get us answers." He said. I shook my head.

"I can't make any promises bro." I said, and kept on climbing.

When we got there, the gang was loading up the spoils. I went to jump them, but Leo put a hand on my shoulder.

"They're leaving. Lets set a tracker, and wait for Donnie and Mikey. Then we can find the hide out." He said.

I held in a growl. I knew he was right, but the waiting was killing me. I wanted to smash their heads against the pavement. But that wouldn't get us anything.

"Raphael?"

I nodded my head slowly. Leo sighed in relief, then he pulled out his phone.

"Donnie, we're putting a tracker on the vehicle. Set up a ping, and meet us at the gun shop with the van." He said. I could hear Donnie speaking, but couldn't make out what it was. Leo nodded, said 'OK', then hung up. He looked at me. "April and Vern are back. They're on their way to the lair to get Splinter and waiting for orders." He looked down at the street, then back at me. "Stay here."

I growled again, but stayed put. Leo went down to the street. He snuck around the corner and sidled up to the side of the van opposite of the gang. He pulled a small device from his belt, attached it to the undercarriage, and came back up. He pulled his phone out again, and the gang drove away.

"It's up. Set the signal, and get here ASAP." He said, then snapped the phone shut. He looked to me. "Five minutes, that's all. Then we'll be on our way. We'll find her Raph."

Finally, after a week of nothing, we were getting somewhere. I closed my eyes and breathed in deep. Leo was right, and I needed to stay calm. A hand fell on my shoulder.

"She is ok. We will bring them home, safe." He said.

Below us, Donnie and Mikey pulled up. We went to street level and climbed in.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Leo's Pov

Raph and I climbed into the van. I sat in the passenger seat, Raph sat at the very back, eyes closed, breath shallow. I could tell he was just barely holding it together.

He was stubborn, hot headed, rough, and didn't always think things through. But he was my brother, and I loved him. And the pain I saw in him, over her loss, told me more than words ever could of how much he loved her. And she loved him. Over all his faults, over the fact that he wasn't even human, she loved him, and saw in him the good person he was. We were going to get them back, whatever it took.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Matty's Pov

I woke with a start. I tried to open my eyes, but they were still too swollen. I licked my dry lips and tasted the blood that had dried there.

Vigo, that bastard. He had been vicious. There was no doubt in my mind of the numerous scars I would have. And not just my face; my arms and legs as well. By the grace of the stars, he had not touched my chest or stomach areas. But still, that didn't mean all was well.

After Vigo had had his fun, Harper ordered that I be used to test a new serum. Two shots, every day. The first time it made me puke, after that it only made me feel woozy. They ran test after test. When they finished, I was given something that was supposed to be food, and sent back to my cell. Every test they did sent me into a panic. What if they found out about the baby? What would happen then? More tests, more injections? This time, straight to the baby? My head pounded with fear when ever I thought about it. What about Raphael. What could possibly be going through his head right now? Did he see the tests in the bathroom? Did he figure out what had happened to me? Or did he think I took off on him?

My heart wrenched, and I cried. Tears seeped out of my swollen eyes, burning them. What was I going to do? Would I die soon? Would I be able to see Raphael again? Or any of them? I still had not apologized to Leo, something that had been eating at me. Oh, what did he think of all this, if he knew? More tears burned my eyes, and clutching my stomach, I slipped back into a fitful sleep.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Leo's Pov

We parked the van a block away from our destination. Donnie pulled up the schematics of the building on his laptop.

"There's a utility entrance here, at the side of the building. There's very little surveillance here, which most likely means there a lot of sentries inside. This used to be a medical testing facility back in the 80's. It got busted for illegal animal testing back in 85. Looks like they did most of the testing on monkeys and apes. Says here that authorities even removed 10 gorillas from the premises. The labs are here, and the holding cells are here." He said, indicating two ground floor areas not far from the utility door.

"Seems like there's a good chance that is where Matty will be." I said. Raphael stood silently behind me, watching and listening. I could feel the anger and tension radiating off of him.

Donnie nodded.

"Yes. Now, there's four separate holding cell corridors. Two on each side here. Our best bet is to get in quick, take out any guards in the immediate vicinity, and start our search in there. Then move on to the labs." He said. I frowned.

"The labs are going to be tricky. If they're in use, there's probably going to be a lot of people in there. More than we might be able to handle." I said. Donnie nodded.

"Already thought about that." He said. He brought up another section of the building, and pointed. "Here is the building's electrical unit." I stopped him.

"Why is the building's electrical on the opposite side of the building? Why isn't it by the utility?" I asked. Donnie shrugged.

"Poor planning? I can't find a good reason for that. But that's where it is. I figure you three get in, and I make my way over there. If I wait till you are done searching the holding cells, and cut the power right when you get to the labs, they'll have less time to react. If they aren't alerted before then, that is." He said. I nodded.

"It's as good a plan as it's going to get." I said. I looked back at Raph and Mikey.

"You guys got it?" I asked. Both nodded. Mikey looked almost as angry as Raph.

"Let's go get our sister back." He said. We all nodded in agreement.

"All right, lets do this." I said.

Mikey, Raph, and I made our way to the utility entrance. Donnie went to the other side of the building to wait for my signal, should we need to get into the labs.

Mikey took out the single cctv camera by the door and we moved in. I picked the lock and entered the building. The utility room boasted a high ceiling and massive boiler system, that was no longer running. An open door way was in front of us. I took point and motioned for the other two to follow. I peeked around into the hall. Donnie was right. Four armed guards, one at each entrance to a holding corridor. I turned to my brothers and whispered.

"There's four of them, and I don't see any way to sneak up on them. This is going to have to be a hit hard and fast kind of move. Take them out before they can sound an alarm. They've got hand guns, and most likely another form of weapon." I said, then turned to Raphael. "Raph, you go out first, take the first two out, then go search those corridors. Mikey and I will take the next two, and search the next two corridors. If luck is on our side, she'll be in one of them, and we can split quick. If not, we got a lot more work ahead of us, so be prepared."

They both nodded, and Raphael assumed point. He rushed out, and all four men began yelling. Before anyone could pull off a round, both men were on the floor, pools of blood forming beneath them. Mikey and I took the other two easily, no shots fired. I turned to see Raph already down the first corridor. I took the one on the left and started my search. At first glance, the long room was dark and cold. I called out.

"Matty? Matty, are you in here?" I said. I heard a sharp cry of pain in response. Then a voice, weak, cracked, and quiet as death.

"Leo? Leo is that you?!"

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I saw hands reaching out of a cell in the middle of the hall, and raced towards them. When I reached her, a lump swelled in my throat.

Her face, arms and legs were covered in cuts, and dried blood. Puncture wounds from thick needles riddled both of her shoulders. Both of her eyes were so swollen she couldn't even open them, though somehow, tears seeped out.

"Oh Matty! What the hell have they done to you!" I hissed. A garbled sound escaped her lips.

"This is nothing." She rasped. I frowned.

"This isn't the time to kid Matty! We have to get you out of here." I said. "Move back, I have to get this cell open."

Matty moved to the corner next to the cell door, and slumped down to the floor. Her breathing was so shallow, I started to panic.

"Just hold on Matty, I'm going to get you out of here."

I took the end of my katana blade and broke out the lock to the cell. I heaved the door open and rushed to Matty. She didn't move. I felt for her pulse. It was weak, barely there at all. I scooped her up and ran. I got on the walkie and informed the others.

" I have her! Get out now! Back to the van! Donnie call April and tell her to get everyone to her place!"

I felt a freezing cold hand on my cheek, and looked down at Matty as I ran.

"I'm sorry Leo…" She said. I shook my head.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." I said.

"I hurt you." She whispered.

"I hurt you too. It's over, we've got more important things to worry about. Like getting you somewhere safe." I told her. Her head laid back down. I heard my brothers behind me as I ran to the van. I looked behind me.

"Into the van, now!" I shouted. Mikey and Raph sprinted ahead of me. Mikey climbed in first, then Raph. I reached the van and handed Matty over to him. Tears were pouring down his face as he took her. I shut the door and got in the passengers seat. Donnie already had the van running, and we sped off.

"I called April. She gave me an address for a house up state. It's Vern's grandparents' old home. They left it to him. No neighbors for miles, well away from people. We're going there." He said. I nodded.

"Fine. Just hurry."

I looked back. Mikey sat behind me, his shell to my seat, staring at Raphael and Matty.

Raphael was huddled at the back of the van, Matilda cradled in his arms, rocking her. He was whispering to her, tears still streaming down his face.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Raph's Pov

I sobbed as Leo carefully handed Matilda to me. I didn't even notice him slam the doors shut. She just looked so broken.

Her face, hands, and legs were covered in bruises and cuts. Dried blood covered her lips and her eyes, which were swollen shut. Her shoulders covered in what looked like injection sites.

I began to shake with rage. What the fuck did they do to her!?

"Raph?"

I opened my eyes, and looked down at Matty.

"I'm here baby, I'm right here"

She lifted a hand to my cheek, and I laid mine over hers.

"I'm here" I said again.

"I love you." she whispered, and her hand slid from my cheek and her arm fell limp.

"No! No. no. no." I hissed. I held her close, she was still breathing, barely.

"Please Matilda. Please, just hold one. You have to stay with me. I need you. I need both of you." I sobbed harder as I listened to her shallow wheezing.

" I love you, too."


	7. Wake up

Chapter 7

Leo's Pov

The drive to Vern's home was long and silent, save for Matty's wheezing. She didn't move at all, and Raph held her close. As we were driving down an empty country road, we saw Vern leaning on his car at the edge of a two track lane. He pushed off of his car as we pulled over.

"Figured I'd wait here for you in case the GPS didn't get you all the way there. Sometimes this road doesn't like to show up." He said. He glanced quickly at the back of the van, then back at me, his face fraught with concern. "How is she?" He whispered. I shook my head.

"It's bad. Can't tell how bad yet, but first glance says very bad." I told him. He shook his head sadly.

"All right. Just go down this road here. It's a private driveway. Only leads to the house. April and Splinter are waiting." He said, backing away. I nodded.

"Thanks." I said. It took nearly ten more minutes to get to the house. When he said private, he meant it. There was nothing but woods all around, of coarse that was a good thing for us.

When we reached the house, both April and Master Splinter were waiting on the porch. As we parked April ran to the van.

"Leo!" She shouted. I climbed out of the van.

"Hey April."

April threw her arms around me.

"I was so worried about you guys! I can't believe this is happening." She said. She let go of me and stepped back. She had tears in her eyes.

"So…" She began, not really wanting the answer to her question.

I made my way to the back of the van, April followed me. Donnie and Mikey went to Master Splinter.

I opened the doors, and April gasped.

"Oh Matty." She whispered.

Raphael set her down in front of him, slid out of the van, then picked her up once more. Vern walked over to us.

"Come on, there's a room ready for her. April show him where." He said. She nodded, and led Raph into the house. I made a move to follow, but Vern caught my arm.

"I'm going to tell you now, and I already cleared it with Splinter. I have someone coming here to look at Matty." He said.

"What? Who?" I asked.

"She's a doctor. Well actually, technically she's a vet, but Matty is gonna need to be checked out. Not just for the injuries, but the, uh, baby too. You know?" He said.

"And a vet is going to help her?"

"She has access to medical equipment. It all works the same, she just usually uses it on animals. It's the best I could do. She's an old friend of mine. We went to school together for a bit."

"What did you tell her?" I asked.

"I told her I had some friends coming up here, and that one of them was injured, and we couldn't take her to a hospital. I didn't tell her about, you know, what you are or nothing. But, you can trust her, Leo, I promise. You guys will like her even. She should be here soon too." He said.

I sighed. I guess we didn't really have a choice. He was right. Matty needed to be looked at, and none of us had any type of knowledge when it came to this kind of thing.

We went into the house, and I followed Vern to a room near the back of the house on the first floor. April stood in front of us before we entered. She looked exasperated.

"He is going to be a problem." She said.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"He is being way over protective of her, and he won't move so I can clean her up." She said. Vern shook his head.

"Sonny is gonna rip him a new one if he doesn't cooperate. When she's got something to do, she's all business. I've seen her chew out too many people. She isn't gonna care how big he is or how scary he tries to be." he said. Right then, there was a knock on the door.

Donnie and Mikey poked their heads out of the kitchen.

"Who is that?" They asked. I looked at them.

"A doctor for Matilda." I told them. "You two stay in there for right now. I think it's best if she only sees one of us at first."

Master Splinter stood next to me, nodding.

"I think this is a wise choice my son. You and I will greet her with Vernon." He said. I nodded.

We followed Vern out towards the front room, but stayed just out of sight. Vern opened the door and let his guest in.

A woman, who looked to be in her thirties, entered. Shiny blonde hair, brown eyes, and not very tall. She also didn't look very happy.

"Vernon Fenwick, what the hell is going on? Why are you being so secretive?" She asked immediately. Vern was right, she was all business. Vern smiled at her.

"Sonny, the friends I have here, they're, um, a little different." He said. I rolled my eyes. A little different? Yeah.

She huffed.

"Dammit Vern. Cut to the chase here please, you said someone needed help." She said hotly. Vern nodded.

"Ok, Ok. Come on out guys." He said.

Master Splinter and I came out from the hall. The woman's eyes widened, but she made no sound. Master Splinter bowed, I followed.

"Good afternoon. My name is Splinter. This is my son, Leonardo." Master Splinter said.

The woman seemed to regain herself. She stepped forward, offering Master Splinter her hand.

"I'm Sonny Connors." She said. "Vern said you were different, though I usually take whatever he says with a grain of salt. He tends to exaggerate." She smiled. Vern frowned, but said nothing.

"How many of you are there?" She asked

"My four sons, and myself. Donatello, Michelangelo come out and meet our guest." Splinter said, calling to my brothers. Both came from the kitchen. They bowed.

"Hello, I'm sonny." she said. She looked to Splinter. "And what of the injured?"

"She is in the back room, with my son Raphael." He said. Sonny looked confused.

"She?"

Vern stepped forward.

"Her name is Matilda" He said.

"Is she…" Sonny began to ask.

"No. She is human." I said.

"Well, I better get back there then. Can't leave her waiting." She said. She started towards the back room. I stopped her in the hall.

"There's something you should know. My brother, he's very, um, emotional right now. He might not be cooperative with you." I said. She just smiled.

"Oh, I think he'll be just fine" She said.

"Leonardo, Michelangelo. You two come help out here. Donatello, please assist Dr. Connors." Splinter said.

Donnie nodded and followed Dr. Connors down the hall.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sonny's Pov

These people were unbelievable. Four giant turtles and a rat.

When we reached the door, Donatello went to open it, I stopped him.

"I'll go in first." I said. He looked hesitant. "I'll be fine."

He nodded and moved aside.

I opened the door and stepped inside. In the bed was a young woman. Bruises and cuts covered her. Her breathing was shallow and raspy. She was in very bad shape. Another turtle, who seemed bigger than the others, sat at the side of the bed. He was stroking her hair and whispering to her. He looked up at me. I squared my shoulders and put my business face on.

"My name is Dr. Connors. And you have two options. You can either leave, or help me." I said. He stared at me, then stood up.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked. I walked over to the bed, took off my jacket and put it on a chair.

"First off, I need you to strip her down to her underclothes." I said. I turned to Donatello. "Donnie, I need you to clear this little table off here and start setting out my tools. I'm going to the bathroom to scrub up."

They both set to work. I went into the bathroom. I opened the cabinet and looked around in it. I grabbed the bottle of alcohol, a pack of gauze, and the aspirin that was in there. I washed my hands as well as I could then went back out into the room. Both the brothers were finished with their tasks.

"Now, I want you to sit there quietly until I give you something else to do, understand?" I said. He looked a little deflated but nodded.

I began my work. First cleaning up the dried blood, then using the rubbing alcohol. I began examining the cuts. None of them were deep, so that meant no stitches, which was good. Looking at all the needle punctures, I wondered what they had been injecting into her.

"How did this happen?" I asked as I worked.

"She was abducted. A group called The Purple Dragons." Raphael said.

"Purple Dragons? I've never heard of them. Kind of a silly name." I said. "Do you know why?"

Donnie stepped forward.

"We think they were after information her mother might have known." He said.

"Where's her mother?"

"She was killed, a long time ago, when Matty was still a kid. The dragons set their apartment on fire."

Raphael looked from Matilda to me.

"Is there any way to….to find out if the…baby is o-ok?" He asked. I looked up at him.

"Baby? She's pregnant?" I asked. He nodded. "Vern didn't tell me that." I said. I looked down at the unconscious girl.

"I don't have that equipment with me. I wouldn't have had it anyhow. It's out with my assistant on a job." I said.

I finished what I could, and set up an IV drip. I looked at Raphael.

"Who is the father?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew the answer. He looked at me, then back at Matilda.

"We didn't think it could happen. The night she was taken is the night she found out." He said, not looking at me. "She called me, sounding scared about something, but didn't tell what it was. When I got to her apartment, she was gone. There were pregnancy tests in the bathroom. That's how I found out."

Wow. That has to be the worst way to find out something like this. He looked lost, and completely unsure. I gathered my things, and grabbed my jacket. Donatello opened the door and we went back out into the front room.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Leo's Pov

We heard the bedroom door open. Donnie and Dr. Connors came out into the front room.

"For the most part, she seems stable. None of the cuts required stitching. I won't be able to tell about the baby, which you completely forgot to mention Vernon, until tomorrow. The equipment for that is being used today. I set up a fluid drip as well. That's all I can do for now." She said. Master Splinter stood and bowed. Donnie, Mikey, and I followed suit.

"Thank you, Dr. Connors. We owe you a great debt." He said.

"I am glad I was able to at least something for her today. Like I said, I'll be back tomorrow with the equipment. Then we can see about the baby, and any possible internal injuries." she replied. She turned to Vern.

"I should be here around 7 or 8." she said. Vern nodded.

"Ok. Thanks Sonny. Let me walk you out." He said. He opened the front door for her and they went outside.

I looked over to Donnie.

"How was he?" I asked. Donnie shrugged.

"He didn't cause problems. She was pretty commanding though. Didn't waste any time letting him know she was in charge." He said.

"Good." I said. April stood then.

"Well, come on guys. Let's get some of these other bedrooms set up."

So the rest of the evening we spent opening windows to air the house out, making beds and things. No one went into that first room. Not even Master Splinter.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Raph's Pov

After the doctor left I grabbed the bag April brought in. There was a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt in it. I put them on Matty. She still looked so frail, but at least she wasn't covered in dry blood anymore.

I wondered how long it would be before she woke. She'd been unconscious for hours. My mind was racing and I could feel my anxiety beginning to get the better of me. I tried to slow myself down, tried to think of other things but it just wasn't working. Then I had a thought. Any time I was pissed off about something, usually Leo, Matty would sing. Something, she said, she learned from her mom. Her mom would sing whenever she was upset, that it let her clear her mind and refocus.

I took her hand in mine, and thought about all her favorite songs. I closed my eyes and sang to her.

"_I remember what you wore on the first day  
You came into my life and I thought  
"Hey, you know, this could be something"  
'Cause everything you do and words you say  
You know that it all takes my breath away  
And now I'm left with nothing_

So maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
And maybe two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you've already got me coming undone  
And I'm thinking two is better than one

I remember every look upon your face  
The way you roll your eyes  
The way you taste  
You make it hard for breathing  
'Cause when I close my eyes and drift away  
I think of you and everything's okay  
I'm finally now believing

That maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
And maybe two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you thought that it got me coming undone  
And I'm thinking two is better than one

I remember what you wore on the first day  
You came into my life and I thought, "Hey,"

Maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
Maybe two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you thought that it got me coming undone  
And I'm thinking  
Ooh, ooh,  
I can't live without you  
'Cause, baby, two is better than one  
There's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
But I'll figure it out  
When all is said and done  
Two is better than one  
Two is better than one"

Tears fell again as I opened my eyes, and she was still as stone.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Matty, it's time to wake up."

I heard a voice, her voice. But that was impossible. There's no way.

"Oh, it's me baby girl, I promise."

My eyes popped open then. Though there was nothing but a great white expanse before me. I wiggled my fingers and stretched my legs, and was surprised. All the pain was gone. I sat up. There were no cuts or bruises either.

"There is nothing like that in this place. You can stand too, if you want."

I stood.

"Mom…is…is that you?" I asked, my eyes threatening tears. A hand fell on my shoulder from behind me. I spun around.

There I found that familiar smiling face. Those unbelievable green eyes, and perfect teeth. Her blond hair was shining in her usual messy bun. I launched myself at her, sobbing.

"Oh mom!" I choked. She wrapped her arms around me and we stood there, not saying a word. She finally let go and took a step back, still smiling.

"My baby girl. Look at you. More beautiful than I could have ever imagined." She said.

"Good genes I guess." I said. She laughed. Then she placed a hand over my belly.

"And now you get to pass them on." She said, eyes twinkling with happiness. I blushed.

"You know everything, don't you?" I asked. She laughed, and nodded.

"Yes, I do. He's an incredible person. And a lucky one at that. You both are." She said.

"Where are we? What is this place?" I asked.

"The in-between. At least that's what I call it. It's kind of like a dream space, I suppose." She said looking around. I frowned.

"So, what? Does that mean this isn't really happening?" I said. Mom shrugged.

"Who knows? And at this point, does it matter? I know I am me. And you know you are you." She said. "Now, I imagine you have questions."

"Too many I think." I said. She smiled at me.

"Probably." She said. She lifted her hand and caressed my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into it, sighing.

"I've missed you so much. There's so much that's happened that I've wanted to tell you. Especially in the last year. Mom, these guys, they are amazing. All of them." I said.

Mom's eyes filled with tears.

"I know baby girl. But right now, I need you to wake up." She said.

"Wait, what?"

"I need you to wake up. He's calling you, baby. He needs you."

Another voice whispered in the air, his voice.

"Wake up, baby. I need you to wake up." Mom said, backing away from me.

"Mom wait, no! Don't go!" I yelled reaching for her.

"Wake up baby."

Mom began to fade, and I began to get woozy.

"Mom, don't leave me again! Please!"

I stumbled forward.

"I need you to wake up baby. Come back to me."

"Raph? Wha-" I tripped and fell forward, but I never hit the ground.

Suddenly I felt like I was lying on something soft. Someone was touching my head, and stroking my hand. I willed myself to open my eyes. The room I was in was bright, and blurry. A dark figure sat next to me. Slowly my vision began to focus.

"Raphael?" I said. My voice raspy and harsh. Raph's head snapped up, wide eyed.

"Matty!? Baby, I'm right here! You're ok, you're ok!" He shouted, tears in his eyes. He leaned over and scooped me up into his arms, squeezing me. I winced. The pain was back.

"Ouch. Easy, babe. I'm still a little bit busted up here." I said teasingly. He let go quickly, his face full of concern.

"Shit, I'm sorry! I didn't think-"

"Calm down, hero. I'm just kidding…mostly. I mean I'm not gonna fall apart from a hug, but maybe not so hard." I said smiling. He smiled back.

"I love you, Green Machine." I said. He reached over and touched my face, I put my hand over his and closed my eyes.

"I love you too."

We sat that way for a minute. I opened my eyes and looked towards the door.

"Maybe you should let everyone else know I'm awake?" I said. He nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea. Dr. Connors will want to talk to you." He said.

"Dr. Connors?" I asked.

"She's a friend of Vern's. She's technically a vet, I guess. But we needed someone to look at you and…." He said, not finishing the sentence.

"The baby." I said. We both looked away for a moment. Finally I spoke.

"Boy, we really put our foot in it, didn't we? Went from worrying about telling them we were dating to this." I said joking. Raph frowned.

"This isn't funny Matty." He said.

"No it's not really. But what can we do?" I said. He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.

"Not a damn thing."

We both laughed, which hurt me slightly and I winced.

"Ouch, dammit." I hissed.

"You ok?" Raph asked. I nodded.

Just then, the door opened, and Mikey's face peeked in. when he saw me and he started beaming from ear to ear.

"You're awake! You're awake!" He squealed, nearly throwing himself on me. He landed on the side of the bed opposite of Raphael, who looked ominous.

"Easy Green Machine, you know how he gets." I said, trying to calm him. He looked at me, then at Mikey, then back at me. "I'm fine."

"Hey guys! Matty's awake! She's awake! Get in here!" Mikey shouted. "Man, dudette! You had us freaked out!" He said.

The rest of my rowdy bunch filed in, including April and Vern. Behind them all I could only assume was Dr. Connors. I looked at Raph.

"Help me fix these pillows so I can sit right." I said, leaning forward. Raph situated the pillows for me and I leaned back again. I waved at everyone.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" I said smiling.

There were smiles and tears, and laughter all around. There might have also been a stern lecture from Master Splinter, well warranted of coarse.

I soon felt my eyes getting droopy, and it was then that everyone was ushered out of the room by Dr. Connors. All except Raphael. When Dr. Connors closed the door, Raphael switched off the light, and crawled into the bed with me. The moment he settled down next to me, I drifted away into sleep. I barely heard him whisper 'I love you'. I was out before I could reply.


End file.
